News Archive - October/November 2017

Historic courthouse redeveloped into mixed use venue

An 18th century courthouse in London has been transformed into a new leisure destination following a five year redevelopment costing £15m.

Built in 1779 by architect Thomas Rogers, it earned a reputation for harsh sentencing and closed as a magistrates’ court in the 1920s.

The sympathetic redevelopment of the 35,000sq ft Grade II* listed building has been led by brothers Ted and Oliver Grebelius at Satila Studios, who acquired the property in 2013 with the intention of creating an all-day destination, with a mix of public and private spaces.

The main building spans three floors and includes a 20m tall grand dome modelled after the Pantheon in Rome, two old courtrooms and former judges’ rooms spaces. On the top floor, the former judges’ dining room will become a restaurant, terrace and wine bar, which will be run by the Grebelius brothers. On the ground floor, the former dungeons will become part of the public offering, hosting a mix of food and drink vendors amongst the prison cells remains, including cell bars, prisoners’ staircases and Portland stone cornices.